Champion of Capella - A Pokemon fan fiction
by Leracthegreat
Summary: A massive collection of trainers has been assembled by the champions of each region to decide the Pokemon League leadership of a brand new region: Capella. The main focus of the story follows primarily the battling, but the romances that develop could certainly impact the way the story goes.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, thanks for looking up my fan fiction. This is my first attempt to write a fan fiction, but after reading a few, I came up with my own.

Fair warning: several of these ships (as it does have shipping) are unconventional. That is because I decided to use my personal favorites from the entirety of the Pokémon franchise that I felt deserved some recognition. That being said, however, these ships are an underlying element to the overall story, not the main focus.

Well that's enough of that. Now let's get on with the story!

XXXXXXXX Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of the characters in the franchise.

"This place is huge!"

"I can't believe we're finally here!"

"This is so exciting!"

"Do you think we'll get vacation time while we're here?"

Comments and questions of the like muffled together over the large crowd of collected trainers. There must have been at least 300 Pokémon trainers, each from far away regions with very different experiences and skills. But they each shared two things in common. The invitation that brought them all to this single place, and the fact that someone believed that each one of them had the potential to be the best.

One trainer, a young man no older than twenty, stood amongst the crowd, calm and steady, like an island amid a wavy ocean. He wore all black pants and boots, black, fingerless gloves, and a black jacket with a turquoise blue, cotton collar over a navy blue t-shirt. A silver bracelet fit snuggly onto his right wrist with a peculiar stone adorning it as a centerpiece.

This young man stared up at the building before this mass of trainers. It was an enormous, circular structure which, he assumed as the others did, was designed to be a grand coliseum for the newly christened region.

"And this is why we're here," he thought to himself. "We are here because we have been chosen, chosen to become leaders for this new region. But is that really something I want?"

"No way! Alain!? What are you doing here, man?!"

A familiar voice caught the young man's attention. He opened his eyes and turned to his left to see a familiar face working through the crowd to get to him. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw his longtime friend Ethan Gold standing in front of him. He was wearing a red athletic jacket with a white collar over a black t-shirt. A single strap bag hung on his back. He wore black shorts that hugged his knees at the base. And on his head was an Ultra-Ball designed cap he recognized all too well.

"Ethan Gold," the young man in black said with a half-smile.

Ethan was a year younger than Alain. They had met back when Alain was 7 and Ethan was 6 when Alain's family relocated to Goldenrod City. Ethan was the first real friend Alain ever had. They grew up together, they played together, trained their Pokémon together, went to school together and everything. Even when Alain moved away with his family to Lumiose City in Kalos when Alain was 14, they stayed friends via pokegear and email. Sometimes they even took trips to visit one another. But here, on this day, would have been the first time they had stood face to face in a little over two years.

"Alain Noble! You made the cut, dude! That's awesome! Not that I'm surprised though. I mean, you are one of the best trainers I've ever battled," Ethan declared, beaming with a smile.

"I could say the same for you," Alain replied. "I have to say, it's a breath of fresh air that I actually know somebody here. I thought I was gonna be spending the next few months surrounded by complete strangers."

"Sorry, pal. Not on my watch!" Ethan exclaimed.

He swung his right arm out wide, hand cupped, and swung it at breakneck speed towards Alain's face. Alain mimicked the motion in half the time, catching Ethan's hand and locking grips with him. Both smiled, still clutching at the others hand. "And just so you know, Alain, I'm gonna be the one to win this thing. And when they ask who the champion of the Capella region, they're gonna be saying 'Ethan Gold!'"

"Make my day, old friend," Alain retorted with a competitive smile.

Their reunion was interrupted. Another young man came up to them. He had taken notice of their interaction and gravitated towards them. He was wearing a black shirt with a slick looking red pattern and long black pants. Like Alain, he also sported fingerless gloves, but instead of black, his were red. And over his dark hair, he wore a white, spiky knit cap with a green band around his forehead. A white pokeball design fit onto the center of the band. He had a friendly demeanor, but beneath that, both Alain and Ethan could sense a fierce competitive will.

"What's up, you two?" this young man asked.

"Just a couple of old friends catching up," Ethan replied. "What's your name?"

"Brendan Ruby. I came all the way out here from Hoen. And you guys are lucky! I haven't seen a single person I know since I got here."

"Well the invites were pretty exclusive, from what I understand," Alain replied, crossing his arms.

"Well, hey, I hope this isn't asking too much, but, I've noticed a lot of people here forming groups and alliances and stuff. So maybe we might make one."

Brendan was nervous. He didn't know these two very well, and he'd just asked them to strike up an alliance with him in a competitive setting. He didn't know what to expect. While he might have seemed confident and steady on the outside, but on the inside, he shook like a Wurmple staring down a starving Swellow.

"Sure!" Ethan responded. "It's cool with me. Alain?"

"Fine by me. You seem like a nice enough guy, Brendan," Alain responded with a smile and uncrossing his arms.

"Yes! Thanks guys. I won't let you down!"

After a brief moment of silence, Ethan grew a bit restless, in the mood for some conversation. He took a look around before leaning in towards Brendan. "So Brendan, see any cute girls here?"

"You better believe it! I mean, I know that's not why we're here, but, you know…" Brendan began to smile.

"Yeeeaaaah, never hurts to look, am I right?" Ethan jabbed at Brendan with his left elbow.

Alain chuckled as he listened to Ethan and Brendan talk girls. Ethan had been that way since they started school. He would always try to talk to the prettiest girl he could find. When they were little kids, it was one thing, but it took on a whole new form when they hit grade school, and especially in high school. Ethan seemed to love three things in life: women, Pokémon, and food, almost exclusively in that order. But he couldn't blame Ethan or Brendan for wanting to look around.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ugh! Bianca, will you stop acting so nervous? You made the cut. You got an invitation. You're plenty good enough to be here!" Hilda yelled.

She planted her balled up fists against her hips as she stared at her timid friend. The two couldn't be any more opposite if they tried. Hilda's long, dark brown hair would flow all the way down to her feet had she not tied it back with her dark blue scrunchie. She sported light blue, cut off short shorts that had, at this point, caught more than a few glances and a whistle here and there. She also wore a sleeveless white shirt with a thin, black vest over it. Her body style suggested she could be a model, though she would never admit it.

Bianca, on the other hand, had very short cut, bright blonde hair. A small frame of round lens glasses sat on the bridge of her nose gingerly over her big, bright green eyes. She wore white t-shirt with a black v-like shape centered at the collar bone that shaped awkwardly due to her voluptuous breasts. On top of that she sported a light orange jacket. A long white skirt concealed more than 80% of her legs minus the base of her shins and her feet.

She withdrew as Hilda brow beat her for a moment of self-doubt that Bianca had been notorious for having throughout their friendship. Bianca hated it when those piercing russet colored eyes pushed against her with that intense aura. But she knew her friend had a point, as she always did. She had to muster up her courage and stop being such a coward.

"Of course. You're right, Hilda," Bianca said, finally perking up.

"Damn right I'm right!" Hilda replied, finally backing off a bit.

"Besides, boys don't like a woman to be so shy and timid."

Hilda's eyebrow arched upward. "What are you talking about?"

"If I'm going to find myself a man, I can't act as frightened as a little girl. So not sexy."

"Are you serious? We get invited with the top trainers from all around the world for the chance to be the new champion of a brand new region and all you want to think about is the guys?!"

"It's not just the guys. It's the fact that the men here are among the best. They are the strongest, smartest, most talented men in the world as we know it, meaning they have tons and tons of potential as future lovers and maybe even husbands. THAT'S IT!" A fiery aura erupted around her. "My goal is to find my love and future husband in my time here. Ours will be…A LOVE THAT WILL CONQUOR ALL!" A megalith of mountain erupted from beneath her, raising her into a bright, sunlit sky and a massive wave of ocean water crashed over the side of it.

But back in reality, her friend looked on in utter confusion and mild embarrassment. Unfortunately, this was nothing new, and Hilda was all too used to it by now. Bianca had been spewing nonsense about marrying the most powerful trainer she could find and being the best possible lover to him, accompanied with plenty of references to her above average breasts and her willingness to do whatever it took to please her man. Hilda just couldn't understand the fire-hot devotion to finding someone to lock down with forever, but she herself entertained the idea of a strong, handsome trainer sweeping her off her feet. But of course, her fantasies were much more, appropriate, than Bianca's.

Hilda leaned her head back and took a deep breath. "You're hopeless."

"Hilda, I just had the most wonderful thought. What if while we're here, we try to match you up with someone? I think that's a fabulous idea, don't you?"

"WHAT?! Why me?!"

"Why not? I mean, how long has it been since your last actual boyfriend, or even date for that matter?" Bianca grinned and peered through her glasses.

"I just…I haven't had the time. Besides," she said, crossing her arms and turning away slightly, "that's more of something you're interested in."

"Oh, come on Hilda, don't be such a stick in the mud. Haven't you imagined what it must feel like to have the man of your dreams caress your body while you…"

"Okay that's enough! We are here to compete and show we have what it takes to become elite four or gym leader status. That's it. Leave your perverted thoughts in your own head!"

Hilda did her best to hide that she was blushing. Old memories of boyfriends past starting filling her mind. She hadn't been with very many guys, and of them, fewer even got to the point where she would let them touch her that way. But whenever she did, it always felt good. Some better than others. Wait, what was she thinking about this for? There was no way she would let herself get distracted. She was on a mission. To become the Capella Region Champion.

"Okay, okay, you win," Bianca replied with a smile. "But you really do need to consider what I said. It wouldn't be a bad time to try finding someone. After all, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"Excuse me?" a tiny voice piped up behind Bianca.

She turned and stepped aside so that Hilda and she could see who had spoken to them. It was another girl. But something was different about her. She seemed so young. Her face was like a porcelain doll adorned with pale green, jewel-like eyes, and long, honey-blonde wavy hair that flowed to the base of her back. She wore a black, sleeveless top matching her black, knee-high shoes, and a vermillion medium length skirt reaching just past the middle of her thighs matched the vermillion felt hat on her head.

"I've been looking around, but I don't see anybody I know here. And nobody here wants to be partners with me. And you both seem really nice. Can I…maybe…be in a group with you?" she asked, turning her face away to hide her flushed cheeks.

Hilda couldn't help but smile. This girl was certainly brave if she was willing approach two strangers knowing that they could completely reject her company. But Bianca was practically beaming.

"Of course you can!" she exclaimed.

She threw her arms around the now smiling girl and pulled her in for an unstoppable bear hug that might make a fully evolved Aggron faint. Hilda laughed. Bianca was always welcome to making new friends. "Oh, Hilda, isn't she just darling!? I'm so happy! We haven't even been here a day and already we have a new friend!" She twirled around twice, still holding onto her new friend before setting her down.

"What's your name?" Bianca asked.

"I'm Serena!" she replied with a bubbly smile.

"You have such a beautiful name, Serena! I'm Bianca White."

"It's very nice to meet you, Bianca!"

"And this lovely lady over here is my very good friend Hilda Black," Bianca said, aiming Serena's attention to Hilda.

"Nice to meet you, Hilda," she said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, too." Hilda returned the smile.

To anyone else, the smile would have seemed forced. But the fact of the matter was she was happy Serena decided she wanted to join up with them. If for no other reason, it kept Bianca from digging into her fantasies and emotions, as well as kept her spirits up. And Serena seemed like such a nice girl, even if she was a little younger. For how well she was getting along with Bianca, Serena was beginning to grow on Hilda.

"How old are you Serena?" Hilda asked.

"Yes, now that you mention it, you do seem a little younger than most of the people here. How old are you?"

Serena scratched the side of her cheek nervously. "I'm…16?"

Then we are older than her, Hilda. By quite a bit I might add."

"Oh…" Serena replied.

"You see, I am 21, and Hilda just turned 19 last month," Bianca said with a smile.

"Does that mean, that we can't be friends, since you're older than me?"

"What?! No, of course not. Whatever gave you that idea?" Hilda answered.

"Hilda's right. We don't care about that. You had enough courage to come up to us and ask us to be your friends, and that's enough for us."

"Really?" Serena's face brightened up.

"And from now on, Serena, you can call me Big Sis."

"Really!? I've always wanted a big sister!" Serena exclaimed.

"Wish. Granted." Bianca winked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Misty, Dawn and Zinnia, three longtime friends - Dawn and Zinna from childhood, Misty joining the two at the start of middle school - stood, each silent, staring up at the wall in front of them. They had expelled all excitement the night before on the train ride from Hearthome to Sunnyshore, and on the ferry ride from Sunnyshore to Capella. The bus ride to the coliseum was quiet, and here in front of the arena, there was tension. The girls didn't want to wait any longer. They wanted the show to get on the road.

"I don't understand why this is taking so long!" Dawn said, stamping her pink boot into the dirt. The girls had decided before leaving to wear something athletic rather than getting prettied up. Capella was a new region to them, and if their outfits were too frilly, they would be out of luck. And at this moment they were grateful for it. In her usual outfit - a cute top and her favorite pink miniskirt that match her boots - Dawn would have felt far too exposed for her liking, given the high volume of guys surrounding her. Misty didn't mind so much. As a performance swimmer back home, she was used to being looked at by high volumes of people.

Misty and Zinnia both were right at home wearing shorts that cut off mid-thigh and figure-fitting tops. Misty just happened to utilize more color in her wardrobe. Zinnia donned a black top with short sleeves tucked into dark gray cut off shorts. Misty leaned toward the lighter colors. Light-blue denim shorts with a yellow, sleeveless top.

"Be patient, Dawn. An adventure will start only at the right moment," Zinnia said.

"I get that, believe me, I do. I'm just so tired of waiting. We've been here so long. I just want to know what the holdup is!"

"Actually I agree with Dawn. Why do you think they're keeping us waiting for so long?" Misty chimed in.

Zinnia shook her head. "I don't know. But I know there must be a greater purpose behind it all. Our patience will be rewarded, my friends if we just hang on!" She turned about and gave her friends a smile.

But neither Dawn or Misty were in a mood to smile. Dawn kept circling around a thought in her head - if the best of the best Pokémon trainers from all over the world were being gathered here to decide who would be the Champion, Elite Four, and Gym Leaders of this new region, then that meant he would be here. The one person she wanted to see less than anyone in the world, the one person she knew she would see, she could feel it. Paul.

For Misty, being there was a battle in her own mind about whether or not she was good enough to be there in the first place. She was shipped off to boarding school in Hearthome City after her parents decided she would be unfit to run the Cerulean City Gym. Misty loved water Pokémon, and being in the water so much. But she just wasn't good enough in her parent's eyes. The Gym would be under the leadership of her older sister Violet. She didn't want to hate her sister for that, but at the same time, she couldn't help it. Especially since Violet was always the one to tease her.

Zinnia had no reservations whatsoever. She seemed thrilled, in a calm way. Absorbed in the honor of simply getting to be where they were. Her friends had never seen her behave like this. So calm. Normally she would be talking to everyone around her, gathering information, learning what she could. But right now, it was all about the moment, the opportunity, the challenge, and the promise of adventure. Nothing could bring her down. "I won't let you down, Aster," she thought to herself. A light breeze blew, catching the tattered khaki coat she wore as a cape.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Suddenly, a noise blasted over the crowd, followed by a force that shook the ground around the coliseum. The gates were opening. For some onlookers, it was exciting. For others, it was terrifying. Ethan and Alain had braced themselves to withstand the surge of wind and the shaking of the ground. Misty, Dawn and Zinnia looked on with satisfied faces. 'Finally,' they thought simultaneously. Their wait was over, and the challenge was about to begin.

For Hilda and her group, a small amount of anticipation set in. Not fear, though. Only a sense that a struggle unlike anything they ever faced was upon them. Serena nervously clutched Bianca's arm. Bianca kept her gaze locked onto Hilda. She had never admitted to anyone before what she really thought about Hilda, but Hilda was her source of courage. Had she not been standing there, so strong, so brave, Bianca might be huddled with Serena on the ground.

Alain, Ethan and Brendan braced themselves against the shaking ground and howling wind caused by the opening of the door. They each felt the same sensation, a rush of adrenaline, a touch of fear, a dash of courage, and a pinch of fighter's spirit kick in all at once. They looked at each other, and then back at the gate. "It's time," Alain said.

Amidst the crowd of trainers flooding into the coliseum were two trainers of a different sort with one thing in common: they felt nothing like fear upon the opening of the gates. One, a golden-eyed, spiky blonde - haired young man crossed into the coliseum with an eager grin on his face. The other, a purple-haired, grey eyed young man crossed into the coliseum composed and steady as stone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And there you have it. That's the end of chapter one. Sorry if it was a little long, I had quite a few characters to introduce. If you're wondering about the identities of the last two guys, don't sweat it too much. You probably already recognize at least one of them. If not, they will be identified soon. I'm not revealing any ships right away, but feel free to take a few guesses if you feel so inclined. Might just get a response. Also if there are any Pokémon you all would like to see in later chapters to be used, let me know in the comments below.

Thanks again for reading. I'll try to update as often as I can!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys, here we go with chapter 2. So, the computer I wrote the original chapter 2 on deleted the file so this is my second attempt at writing this chapter. I meant to post this on Friday but work got a little weird and a totally spaced. But without further ado, here is Chapter 2. Enjoy.

XXXXXXXXXXXX Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

The mass of trainers were funneled through the tunnels beneath the marble seats to the stairs that led up to them with signs with arrows and the word "STAIRS" printed on them. There wasn't much conversation going on at this point outside of curious speculation that only registered as muffled chatter to anyone it was not addressed to. Once out of the dark passageways below, the view was incredible. The coliseum itself spanned so far in diameter that the seats on the opposite side of where the trainers had been set were hardly visible. The ground below seemed so far down. But the most captivating sight was the arena itself.

Dusty, windswept, without any discernable characteristics to make it anything special outside of the sheer length and width of it made this arena without a doubt the most massive any trainer had ever seen before. The challenge, then, became evident to the on-looking trainers.

"This arena is huge." Alain began with Ethan and Brendan.

"That means our concentration and control over our Pokémon and their moves will have to be on point at all times," Hilda continued the same thought with Serena and Bianca.

"And our strategies will have to adjust to mitigate the amount of time we give our opponents to set up theirs," Misty finished, talking with Zinnia and Dawn.

"So how do you think they're gonna have us do this, Alain?" Brendan asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm sure they've got something laid out," Alain said, crossing his arms.

"Hey guys, don't sweat it. There's no way we're gonna lose," Ethan said, leaning back in his seat and cupping his hands behind his head under the brim of his rear-facing hat.

"Well well, someone sure seems confident," a voice called from their right.

Brendan, Alain and Ethan turned to see three young women standing beside them. One of them had long, blueish black hair, pink shorts that cut off mid-thigh and a purple shirt with puffed sleeves that conformed to her torso to bring out her figure. The one nearest her was a red head with medium-length hair that was tied in a ponytail on the side of her head as opposed to the back. She donned a sportier outfit: a sleeveless, figure-fitting, yellow athletic shirt that tucked into a pair of short, cutoff jeans. And beside her was a woman dressed rather strangely. Her raven black hair was short, reaching only as low as her chin. She wore a tight black t-shirt that tucked into a pair of gray cutoff cargo pants. Around her neck a dusty, tattered coat was tied, creating something of a cape with enough excess beneath her head to make a hood.

"He's always like that," Alain replied.

All Ethan and Brendan could do was stare in awe. It didn't even occur to them that Alain had said anything. Ethan's eyes were scaling up and down the three young women before them. He hadn't seen such fine female specimen in a very long time. It didn't take him long to write off the one with the cape-like cloak. He wasn't into girls with short hair. But the other two were prime candidates. 'Perfect figures, seemingly perfect boobs, pretty faces. If I'm dreaming, please don't wake me up!' Ethan thought.

Brendan was completely taken with the girl wearing a cape-like cloak. She was gorgeous. Flawless tan skin that he knew girls from back home would kill to have; incandescent red eyes that pulled him toward her in a way he didn't want to fight; a smile that emitted such radiance as he had never known before; and a body that both excited his passions while at the same time earning his respectful admiration. His jaw hung slightly as he smiled. It triggered a giggle from the woman he couldn't help but stare at.

"My name is Zinnia," she said, bowing gracefully. "These are my friends, Misty," she said, gesturing to her red-headed friend with her left hand, "and Dawn."

"Nice to meet you," Misty said, offering a smile.

"Ditto," Dawn echoed.

"Pleasure," Alain replied with a short smile. "My name is Alain."

"I'm Ethan!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. Too enthusiastically. Ethan coughed as if clearing his throat and leaned back in his seat. "Yeah, I'm Ethan," he said cooly.

Zinnia giggled. "Well what about you?" she gestured to Brendan. "What's your name?"

"Ah, uuuh, my name…duh…de…bu…Brendan!" He cleared his throat for a minute. "My name is Brendan."

Zinnia giggled. "You're cute," she said with a smile.

Brendan felt his cheeks begin to burn red, so he turned as quickly as he could to hide it. How embarrassing! He was acting like a girl had never flirted with him before. But then, no girl had ever flirted with him before. Not like this at least. He started to wonder if she might actually be in to him. Mentally he crossed his fingers hoping she'd ask to sit with him.

"So you boys wouldn't mind if we sat here with you, would you?" she asked.

"NO! Not at all!" Brendan blurted out without thinking. Alain and Ethan looked at their new friend with surprise. He had struck them as impulsive, what with asking them if he could join up with them without knowing them and all, but this was beyond impulsive. Alain chuckled. This was bold.

Zinnia smiled again and took a seat next to Brendan. "Then I'll sit here. Is that okay with you?" she asked playfully.

"Yeah," Brendan smiled, releasing a nervous chuckle, "of course it is," he blushed.

"You know, you don't have to be nervous around me, Brendan. I don't bite. Hard."

Misty worked her way between Brendan and Alain. Fortunately, these guys didn't occupy seats directly next to one another, so she sandwiched herself between Brendan and Alain. As she did, she brushed against Alain's arm. "Sorry!" she said. But she wasn't. When she brushed against him, she felt firmness in his arm. He was strong. While they were introducing themselves, she had taken notice of him. He was very handsome, and his attitude so relaxed. A warmness began brewing in her chest for the young man seated right next to her. But she chased out any thoughts of where that feeling might take her. 'Remember why we're here,' she thought to herself.

Dawn hadn't taken much notice of Ethan. To her, there wasn't much that stood out about him. He wasn't muscular, obviously, and he came off as a player to her. She didn't like the idea of sitting with him, but there weren't any other seats available near her friends. 'Ugh, if Zinnia hadn't insisted on sitting next to the 'cute guy in the white knit cap' I wouldn't be stuck sitting next to…' Her thought train ended when she caught sight of someone off in the distance. A young man in a cobalt-blue jacket with black stripes, long gray pants and distinctively purple hair.

A rush of feelings coursed through her, ranging from anger to sadness to frustration and fear. She quickly and almost boisterously made her way over to where Ethan sat and plopped down to his left. Without asking or saying anything, Dawn wrapped her arm around Ethan's. He sat up with a jolt. When he looked into her face, he noticed she didn't seem happy. At all. What was happening?

Without looking at him, Dawn asked, "Does this bother you?"

Ethan could hear the frustration in her voice. She was mad, for sure. But was she mad at him? Was it something he said? But if she was mad, why did she wrap her arm around his? 'Wait, she asked me a question. Alright, Ethan, respond appropriately.'

"No, I just…"

"Good, then stop staring at me like that and go with it!" she demanded.

Ethan had never felt intimidated by a woman before. But this was scary. This tension seemed to born out of nowhere. At least until he noticed something off in the distance. It was a young man with purple hair staring at them. He seemed displeased. Not angry, just upset. From the way she was acting, and the look he got from that guy - for a minute or two - he was sure they had a connection. 'Probably exes that had a nasty breakup,' Ethan thought. But hey, at least he got to have this beautiful woman on his arm for a minute.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, Serena, do you have a boy waiting for you back home?" Bianca asked.

Hilda rolled her eyes. Bianca seemed so single minded. But she knew her lifelong friend had always been this way. But maybe things wouldn't be the same with her new friend Serena. She just seemed, too sweet, too naïve to have been roped into the world of dating. It was a breath of fresh air.

"Well, no. Not really at least. I mean, all these boys at my school want to date me, but I don't even know why."

"Oh that is so precious!"

"What do you mean?" Serena asked, confused by Bianca's response.

"They like you because you are beautiful, little sis. And you just have this way of turning cute and adorable sexy. I like it."

"God, Bianca, are you trying to teach her how to make an object out of herself?!" Hilda crossed her arms and turned her head away from Bianca.

"Come on, Hil, where did that come from? There's nothing wrong with a woman taking pride in the way she looks and the way she can get men to look at her. It's a form of empowerment."

"It's stupid and pointless! If a guy is gonna be with me, it better be because he likes more than just what he sees." Hilda stomped her foot against the marble floor beneath her seat.

"Um, actually, I kinda agree with both of you," Serena chimed in ever so quietly.

"What?" they both said simultaneously.

"Sure, it's great for a boy to like the way I look, but it wouldn't be complete if all he cared about was the way I looked. But at the same time, if he only liked me for what's inside, who's to say he won't try to find something that looks better?"

Bianca and Hilda were shocked. Here they were, both dynamically different and set in their opinion about what is more important for a guy to take notice of, but Serena wanted both. She looked up into the sky, sunlight beaming off her face and glowing along her wavy hair. "I want to be everything for the one I find. I want to be his fantasy and his love. I know that might sound silly, and maybe it won't work that way, but I think it's worth a try."

She gave a bright and innocent smile to both Hilda and Bianca. Hilda's wall came down and she returned her gaze to Bianca, who was already smiling back at her. "I don't want to see my big sisters fighting," Serena said again. The three of them shared a group hug. It was warm, and in that moment, Hilda, Serena and Bianca felt their connection become even stronger. They really felt like sisters.

The tender moment was interrupted by a whistle that came from the row just behind them. "What comes next ladies?!" a male voice out amorously.

Hilda's eyes opened sharp. She shot out of her seat and pulled back her arm. Before the young man could react, Hilda fired a fast, deadly punch into his face, knocking him out of his seat. He forced his hands over his face, crying out, "You crazy bitch! You broke my nose!"

Hilda had nothing to say to him. She simply stood proudly, triumphant. She turned to see the her two sisters cheering for her, and offered them a small wink, a promissory note that the same treatment would be waiting for anyone who talked to them like that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Champions from each region emerged seemingly from nowhere and had convened on the arena floor. There they were: Cynthia, Wallace, Steven, Alder, Lance, Iris and Diantha, with another man well known as the Battle Tycoon - Palmer. Some of the best Pokémon trainers ever known. All eyes were glued to them, waiting to see what would happen next.

Lance, the well-known Dragon Master who served as the Champion for the Johto Region stepped forward. With a loud, booming voice like the roaring of a dragon, Lance spoke:

"Welcome Pokémon trainers, to the Capella Coliseum! Take a moment to congratulate yourself for making it here, the threshold of a brand new Pokémon League. This truly is a tremendous honor for you all. With that being said, not all trainers present here are equal. It is up to each of you to demonstrate your skills, prowess, and strength as trainers in order to make it into the league. As you all know, in each league, there can only be a maximum of 8 Gym Leaders and an additional 4 members to serve as the Elite Four. Throughout your time here, you will be tested to prove that you are worthy of standing above the others. For when this is all said and done, one of you will be crowned the Champion of Capella."

Lance paused for a moment to allow the information to set in. It didn't come as much of a shock to any of the trainers that is was going to be a selection process, but how would they possibly choose out of over 300 people who was going to be what?

"The challenge will begin with a written exam that will test your knowledge. A League official worth their salt must be able to prove their knowledge. This test will cover everything from type advantages to more complex strategic information. You will find an exam underneath your seats." Lance paused as he watched the trainers shuffling around and discovering the tests. As soon as the movement stopped, each Champion opened up two poke balls and released a pair of Ninjask that each moved in a direction chosen by their trainer.

"These Ninjask will be watching your every move. They have been trained to slash any exam out of the hands of a cheater. Should this happen, you are automatically dismissed from the selection process. You may stay in Capella for the remainder of the time, but you will not be allowed to participate in the official trials." Lance paused. "There is no room for cheaters in this League, so I suggest if you can't resist the urge, or don't want to run the risk of someone cheating off you, you move away from the other trainers" He paused again to allow them time to adjust themselves.

"This test is 100 questions long. You have until the sun sets to complete it. When you finish, raise the exam over your head. We will collect it from you and send you to the designated waiting area. You may begin when ready."

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Well that does it for Chapter 2. Hope it wasn't too boring, and I hope you all like what you're seeing with the character development. If you haven't noticed, there are going to be a lot of dynamic contrasts throughout, especially as we start rolling into the battles.

Also, side note, still taking suggestions for Pokemon teams or just any pokemon (non-legendary) you'd like to see in the story. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys, here we go with Chapter 3. Time for the results of the test, time to see who remains out of the 300 people chosen for this process. And then, on to the next challenge to become the Champion of Capella.

These intros are going to be relatively short until more characters start interacting which, trust me, is coming. So until then, let's get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

"Man that test was hard!" Ethan exclaimed, stretching his arms in the waiting area beneath the Coliseum seats. He was not the only one that thought so either. Plenty of other trainers murmured amongst themselves over the difficulty of the test, and how it became increasingly difficult as the questions went on. The girls nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and did you hear how many times the Ninjask slashed exams down? I swear I felt one whizz past my head once," Brendan added in.

"I counted at least twenty, but I'm sure there were more," Alain threw in. "That test was more than just to challenge our intellect." A very serious look overcame his face.

"Oh yeah? How do you figure?" Brendan asked, Zinnia agreeing.

"Think about how much more difficult the test got as it went along. Some of those questions were asking about extremely complex scenarios that rarely ever happen in a real battle. Certain things that didn't even need to be taken into consideration due to the low likelihood of their occurrence."

"Now that I think about it, you're right," Misty added.

"I had to skip a few questions they were so hard," Dawn chimed in.

"What are you getting at, Alain?" Ethan asked.

"They wanted us to cheat and get caught doing it. That's got to be it. Because…"

"Because cheating is a sure-fire sign of a lack of both confidence and ability in a trainer." Alain was cut off by a young man, probably close to his age. He had spiky blonde hair and gold eyes, like none of them had ever seen before. The strangest thing about him, however, was his wardrobe. He sported a long, steel-blue, collarless coat with long sleeves that nearly covered his hands. His left arm seemed to have some sort of black armor with red outlines coursing all the way down his arm that created a concave bulge over his hand.

"If a trainer is willing to cheat," he continued, "then he isn't worthy of being called an elite."

"Who are you?" Alain asked.

Alain couldn't explain why, but this man's presence made his blood boil. Not out of anger, though. It was strange. A voice like Fate whispered to him as he stared into this man's golden eyes: "He will be your greatest opponent." He believed it, too, as his pulse began to race. This man in front of him was beaming with confidence, yet he did not come across as arrogant. Alain could feel it right down to his bones. This man was strong, and his Pokémon would be just as strong.

"Hey, wait a minute, I recognize you!" Ethan said, pointing his finger in the man's face. "You're that guy that made a scene when he turned in his exam. You were the first one to finish the test!" Ethan was right.

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About an hour into the exam, this man had finished. But instead of holding up his exam as they were instructed, he got up from his seat, walked down the steps and hopped up onto the edge of the seating. He then dove head first down a forty-foot drop to the arena floor below, garnering massive attention from the whole crowd, and the Champions that were proctoring the exam. He expertly performed a few somersaults and twists in the air as he descended before slamming the armored sleeve against the wall to slow his descent. To the audience, however, it didn't seem to work.

He crashed into the ground and kicked up a mighty cloud of dust that totally concealed him from sight. All eyes surveyed the cloud, attempting to pierce through it, most hoping for signs of life, some hoping for signs of injury. And as the dust settled, this young man was on his feet, totally unharmed, and smiling, just as he was now. He then approached the Champions with his exam in hand.

As he approached, Lance prepared to receive his exam, as well as reprimand him for disobeying the rules. The line of tension between the two of them was practically visible, growing in intensity as the young man drew closer, until at last they stood face to face. Lance was extremely displeased. Some would even venture to say he was pissed off.

"You were told to wait in the stands until your test was taken up from you."

"Yeah, I heard that. But, you see, waiting isn't really my thing. I'm more of a hard-charger, myself."

"An attitude like yours won't last long in my selection process, trainer."

"I think you'll change your mind once you watch me battle. Once you see me in action, you'll get it." He smoothly handed the test to Lance.

"And what is it that I'm supposed to 'get'?" Lance asked, anger apparent in his voice. "That you're a cocky, arrogant trainer who thinks he's the best, and so has no regard for the rules?"

"No. That I am the best. I won't lose a single battle in the time I am here. You can bet your life on that."

Lance continued to glare at him with his piercing stare that made nearly everyone in the audience shutter. But the young man before him was totally unfazed. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying antagonizing Lance and the spectacle he was making out of himself.

"A bold statement, boy," Lance growled, snatching the young man's exam from his hand. "But first you'll have to pass the test. Which Champion presented you with an invitation?"

Suddenly, the young man's smile curled into a fearsome scowl. He raised up his left hand and extended a finger from beneath the armor piece over his hand at Cynthia. He didn't say a word, only aimed his glare into her eyes. She seemed unintimidated by him, though. A Champion must be steady, and if Cynthia demonstrated nothing else about herself, it was that she was poised and steady. She stepped forward and received the exam gingerly from Lance. When her eyes went down to scan the answers on the papers in her hands, the young man's smile returned.

Cynthia's eyes grew wider and wider as she continued scanning through the test in her hands. It took her a grand total of five minutes to see that every single answer he had was correct. And not just correct, but thoroughly correct. This young man she had chosen out of Pyrite Town in Orre was a genius. The she lowered the test away from her face, but clutched it tightly in her hand as it came to rest by her side. She gave Lance a nod, which told him everything he needed to know.

"What is your name, trainer?" he demanded.

The young man simply returned Lance's gaze, but said nothing. A look of excitement crept up over his face, as if he knew something, something very important, that the Champions did not.

"Did you not hear me?! I asked you a question!"

"Zero." He looked down for a moment, solemnity overcame him. But when he looked back up into Lance's face, that same confident smile stretched over his face. "They call me Zero." And with that, he turned his back and walked away, leaving an extremely irate dragon master behind him.

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"That's right. Good memory."

"So what is your name, then?" Misty interjected.

"Zero."

"Your name is Zero?" Dawn asked.

"That's what they call me," he replied, throwing his hands behind his head.

"Well that's…interesting," Ethan replied. "So how did you finish first?"

"It just wasn't hard."

"Is that why you felt the need to showboat the way you did!?"

Another voice joined in the conversation. Ethan recognized him from before. It was that guy that gave him the stink eye when Dawn sat next to him and clutched at his arm. The guy with purple hair. His voice was very different than Zero's. It was stern, cold, and serious. If he were a Pokémon, he would be an ice/steel dual type, Brendan thought. Though this purple-haired guy did seem angry, it was controlled anger, not directed at Ethan, but at Zero.

Zero turned and faced this new face as calmly and cool as he had looked at Alain. The anger thrust at him didn't seem to faze him at all. He smiled, even, in the face of this adversary, as if he intended to antagonize him further.

"Without your little 'performance', I would have been the first one to finish. So don't get it in your head that you're better than me with your showboating!"

There was a brief pause. The group behind Zero froze in place, expecting a full on fight to break out between these two. The tension could be severed with a knife. Dawn inched her way over to Ethan and clutched at his arm as she had done before. It shocked him, but he was surprisingly okay with it. At least, until her nails started digging into his arm through his jacket.

"What's your name?" Zero asked.

"Paul Stone, from Veilstone City in Sinnoh. Who are you?"

"Call me Zero," he replied, still smiling.

Paul realized that nothing he said to Zero would breach that cocky wall of confidence surrounding him, and turned his back. Before walking away, he turned his head slightly over his right shoulder and said: "Before this is all over, you and I are going to battle. And I'm going to win."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Zero replied, tilting his head down, garnering a more serious smile as he watched Paul walk away.

Dawn exhaled as she watched Paul walk further and further away, gradually releasing her grip on Ethan's arm. A stinging sensation pulsed across his arm and up into his shoulder. He snatched his arm away from her, rubbing where he felt her nails dig. She didn't apologize, though. Her attention was in the direction Paul had walked off, everything else seemed blocked out. Ethan took notice, so he decided not to say anything. Instead he watched in silence like everyone else as the mysterious Paul walked off.

Finally, Zinnia broke the silence. "Dawn, you okay hun?"

Dawn hesitated for a moment. She had heard what Zinnia said, but she was still processing what just happened. He came over to face off with this guy Zero, but didn't say a word to her. She knew he saw her, he must have. But he didn't say anything. It was both relieving and infuriating. She just couldn't stand it!

"Yes," she answered, "I'm fine."

"Zinnia, who was that guy?" Brendan asked.

She returned him a smile, but only said "I'll have to tell you later. Dawn is going to need some time to diffuse."

"Okay. So they said after the exams they take us to our rooms, right?" Brendan asked.

"Unless you want to stick around to see the results of the test," Alain answered.

"Which is the only reason we're still here," Ethan added. "To make sure that we made the cut."

"Don't sweat it too much, guys," Zero began, "They call back the ones that made the cut from the resort tonight at midnight. If you didn't make the cut, you'll get a full night's sleep. If you did, morning's coming early, and I am getting some shuteye."

With that, Zero exited in the same way as Paul by the main entrance. The consensus was mutual: Zero had to be the strangest person any of them had ever met. But he sure did seem confident. Alain could only wonder why. He also wondered what it was about him that made his pulse race the way it did. Could he have the power…to surpass normal evolution?

Meanwhile, Bianca and Hilda were searching high and low for Serenity outside the coliseum. She was among the last to finish, and they hadn't seen her come out. As her self-declared big sisters, they were not about to leave for the resort without her.

"Serenity!" they called out.

"Are you sure she came out the South Gate, B?" Helen asked, scanning all around her.

"I thought that's how she came out, but I just don't know. Oww, I wish I would have just waited for her!"

They continued to look around the South entrance, hoping to find their new friend, when in reality, she was over at the East entrance looking for them. She had followed a larger group of people who finished roughly around the same time she had, expecting to see her new big sisters waiting outside, possibly waving. But when she stepped back out into the fading light, they were nowhere to be found. She tried not to worry, but there were so many people around, she thought she would never find them.

"Hilda?! Big sis?! Where are you guys?" she called out over and over.

Just a little way from her a man of decent proportions noticed her plight. He also noticed her gorgeous, petit figure; long wavy blonde hair; flawless skin and desperate tone. An intrigued smile curled his lips. With his right hand, he stroked the thick stubble that made up the bottom portion of his beard. After a moment of deliberating, he approached to see what was the matter.

"Excuse me, miss, are you lost?" he asked cordially as a snake.

"Yes, I'm trying to find my friends, but I don't know where they are or where they went."

Her voice was trembling. This was too perfect. She was too perfect. He gently set his mammoth hand on her tiny shoulder and said softly: "Hey, calm down. It's alright. You can come with me. I'll keep an eye on you."

"No, thank you," she began, attempting to step away from him, "I'll be alright from here."

"What's the rush, huh?" he tightened his grip on her shoulder.

"Please let me go," she pleaded.

"Come on, what do you say you stick with me, huh? And be my personal cheerleader while I win this thing? How does that sound?"

"Let go of me. I'm leaving!"

He gripped even harder, refusing to let her go. She struggled to pull away, but he slid his arm around her shoulder and coerced her to the inside of the East entryway. She was powerless to stop him. 'If my arm wasn't pinned against him, I could reach for my poke balls' she thought. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes, but did not fall. He pushed her back against the wall. It was completely dark. Nobody could see them. Serena could hardly breathe.

"What do you say about giving me a kiss, huh sugar?"

He leaned in close, pressing his lips together and moving in towards her. She turned her face away and attempted to scream for help, but he threw his hand over her mouth and turned her head towards him. Those welled up tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn't believe what was happening, what was about to happen, and she couldn't stop him. She closed her eyes tightly as she felt his right hand touch her right leg and start moving up.

Suddenly, she felt all the pressure he was placing on her release all at once, as if someone had pulled him off her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that he had been pulled off of her and thrown to the ground. Another man was standing just steps from where this thug had held her in place. His coat blew heroically in the wind.

"You got some nerve, kid. Do you have any idea who I am?!"

Serena noticed he was wiping blood off his lip. Her rescuer must have punched him or kicked him or something. But he got up, towering over the man in front of him. Serena froze in terror, shrinking behind her rescuer. But he was unafraid. His fists hung steady at his sides. He was nowhere near the size of the hulking man before him, but here he was anyway, ready to fight, ready to get hurt fighting to protect someone he didn't even know.

"I'm gonna knock that smile right off your face," he growled as his gigantic hands balled into powerful-looking fists.

He pulled his arm back and fired a punch straight at the man in front of him. As quick as lightning, this mystery man evaded the punch, dropped onto all fours and fired a kick straight into the base of the thug's chin. The force of the kick launched him two feet into the air and several feet back. His head spun and his jaw ached. He attempted to get up, until another force struck his midsection, pushing any remaining air out of him.

"Now I don't want to have this conversation again," he began. "I don't ever want to see you putting your hands on any of the women here, understand? Because next time, I'll make it hurt."

He stomped his boot into his midsection again, forcing more air out and causing the thug a great amount of pain. Then he turned around and approached the still frightened Serena, who was huddled against the wall, frightened. Noticing this, he stopped, just outside the entryway. "Are you alright?" he asked. She didn't respond. He reached his hand out to her, and in this moment, she truly got a good look at the man who had just saved her.

He was certainly older than she was. She could see it in face. His eyes were golden in color, a shade she had never seen before. There was no malice, no anger, no wicked intent in them. They were soft, sincere. His hair was sandy blonde, and spiked up. He wasn't smiling, instead his face seemed concerned. Had he been worried about her? She was smart enough to conclude that he had seen what was happening between her and this thug, and stepped in to help. But he had no anterior motive. Though she didn't know him, she trusted him. Enough at least to stretch out her hand into the light and take his hand.

He took hold of her hand extremely lightly. From the moment their fingers touched, he could feel her hand trembling. He made sure not to close his grip, elsewise she would become even more frightened and retreat away from him. Slowly she emerged into the fading light of the sunset. Serena felt something course through her, something she had never felt before. This feeling, a mixture of gratitude and something else - something she didn't quite understand - compelled her to lunge forward and seize hold of the man that had just saved her.

"Thank you so much," she whimpered, releasing a few stray tears.

His arms did not wrap over or around her, not immediately. They remained arced outward and frozen in place. This was not the reaction he was expecting, but the softness in her grateful, teary voice and the warmth of her embrace won over, and he in turn wrapped her up in a hug, though not affectionately. He kept his head and face distant, looking about through the few people that remained for anybody that might be searching for her.

"What's your name?" he asked in a very low toned voice.

"Serena," she responded, just above a whisper.

"Come on, let's find your friends. I'm sure they're around here somewhere."

As the hug broke apart, they heard a sound in the distance, rising in volume. They turned towards the South and saw two figures running toward them at breakneck pace. Hilda and Bianca found Serena at last. Upon their arrival on the scene, they snatched her away from her rescuer and cradled her between the two of them. "We were so worried about you! We thought something might have happened!" Bianca exclaimed.

"Something did almost happen," the young man interjected. The three young ladies looked up at him, Hilda and Bianca suspecting him immediately, being the closest man to them at the moment. He motioned silently behind them with his head. They turned and saw the man on the ground, still clutching his chest from the pain of getting it stomped into twice. They clung tightly to Serena before releasing her to thank this stranger. But as they did, they saw he was already walking away.

"Wait!" Serena called out. Her voice stopped him in his tracks, but he did not turn around.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Call me Zero."

With a flick of his wrist, he gave them a passing wave, and went on his way. Hilda and Bianca made their way towards the road just a ways out from the East entrance where a bus loaded up with the stragglers waited to take them to the resort a few miles away. They were silent, not knowing what to say. Hilda and Bianca were happy Serena was safe, but now knowing that something almost happened to her because they weren't there made them feel worse. Especially Hilda. But that thought hadn't even occurred to Serena. Her solitary thought was the name of the man who had saved her: 'His name is Zero,' she said to herself over and over in her mind.

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That's it for Chapter 3. Sorry this took so long, I hit a major writer's block last week, but I'm back now and ready to go. The characters have been introduced, the plot is moving. Stick with it, because we're about to get into some real juicy stuff in Chapter 4. Thanks for reading and remember, still accepting ideas for teams or individual Pokémon you would like to see!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys, here we go with Chapter 4! Now we get into the battling, delve a little more into some of the characters, and find out who our specialty people are. Also, prepare for some subtle but not so subtle foreshadowing, because this chapter is rife with it. Anyway, that's enough from me. Let's get this ball running.

Also for those reading, I do apologize for taking forever on this one. This week has been a little crazy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I DO NOT OWN POKEMON.

"That's so romantic!" Bianca exclaimed in the room at the resort.

She, Hilda and Serenity conveniently were able to get a room together, as they had hoped. And even though it was three of them to one room, the room was spacious enough to accommodate them. Upon their arrival to their room at the resort, Bianca demanded Serenity tell them exactly what had happened before they found her. She regaled them in the story of how this man tried to completely take advantage of her, even pinning her against the wall. She was so scared. But then, he came, and saved her. Zero.

"Oh my gosh, if we see him around, we'll have to do something to thank him!" Bianca said, placing her hands on her face as she began to blush. "Perhaps a glorious night out with yours truly would be an adequate payment for his heroic deed!"

Serenity leaned in towards Hilda. "Does she do this often?"

"Get used to it, Serenity. This happens all the time with her."

Suddenly, there was a knock on their door. Hilda rose up to answer. Serenity slinked over to Bianca, still shaken from the earlier events. She was glad to have Hilda there. She was so strong, so fearless. It was inspiring. At the same time, Bianca was great for comfort, holding fast to Serenity's arm, giving her the feeling that if anybody wanted to get to her, they'd have to go through Bianca to do it.

Hilda turned the doorknob and opened the door slightly. The figure at the door was a tall, dark-skinned man in a suit. Hilda couldn't recognize him.

"The three of you are needed at the Coliseum. Make yourselves ready. Busses will leave in ten minutes with, or without you." Without another word, the man in the suit vanished into the hallway.

Hilda looked at the clock on the night stand. It read 11:39. Bianca and Serenity looked up at Hilda, expecting her to say something, but Hilda herself didn't quite know what to say.

"Who was it?" Serenity asked, loosening her hold on Bianca.

"He didn't say," Hilda shook her head.

"What did he want?" Bianca asked.

"He said we need to be at the bus port in ten minutes. But he didn't say why."

"Well let's get going then."

The girls all got up and searched around for their shoes. Hilda laced up her favorite running shoes that she wore whenever she expected to be moving around a lot, like in Pokémon battles, or if she didn't know what to expect. Bianca slipped on the first pair of pumps that she found inside one of her fully packed luggage bags. She reached over to the night stand and opened up the case for her glasses and perched them gingerly on her nose. Serenity pulled up her high-leg boots she brought, and within minutes, the three girls were out the door, down the hall and outside the resort, where a small handful of the original mass was standing, equally as confused as they were.

"Man, it's 11:40 and we still haven't heard anything!" Brendan shouted, falling onto a bed in his room.

"Be patient, hun, we don't even know if what that guy said about midnight was true or not," Zinnia replied, sitting down beside him on the bed.

"I know, but…"

"Did you just call him 'hun'?" Dawn blurted out with a grimace.

"Did she just call you 'hun'?" Ethan blurted out with a smile.

Brendan pulled his knit cap over his face to hide his red face. He and Zinnia had exchanged numbers before they left the Coliseum a few hours ago and had been texting on their poke gears. She had been calling him 'hun' since they started texting, and in an attempt to be charming, he always referred to her as beautiful. But he didn't want the guys, especially Ethan to be in on his sprouting romance, for fear Ethan might Jynx it. He thought it might be a good idea to invite the girls to hang out with them, so he invited them to their room to wait for the issue of the next challenge.

Zinnia hadn't told either Misty or Dawn about it, not for fear of Jynxing it, but because Dawn seemed totally focused on the now-existent Paul situation, and Misty never seemed all that interested in getting into other peoples' love lives. She rolled her eyes at Dawn's outburst. Sure, Dawn might be the oldest of the three of them, but that didn't give her the right to treat her of Misty like children.

"When did this start, and why haven't you told me about it?" Dawn demanded.

"I'm sorry Dawn, I didn't realize I had to tell you everything about my life. It's no business of yours who I date."

"You sly dog, look at you. Workin behind the scenes to find yourself a woman," Ethan said, jabbing Brendan's arm.

"Come on, man, do you really have to do this now?" Brendan replied, still hiding under his cap. At the sound of the word 'date', he blushed even brighter.

"Honestly, though, how can you be so…so…okay with this! For Arceus's sake you just met him today! He could be a total perv! Misty, come on, don't you agree with me?"

"Hey, leave her out of this! This is between you and me, because apparently you don't think I can pick my own boyfriends!"

"What are you saying?!"

"You always seem to have a beef with the guys I like, Dawn. Ever since you and Paul split up. Well don't go projecting that insecurity onto me! I'm smart enough to pick and choose for myself who I like and who is good for me!"

She turned her back to Dawn and grabbed Brendan's hand, hauling him out of the room and slamming the door behind her. Ethan seized up from the tension. Dawn's face was flushed, full of both rage, sorrow, but ultimately, regret. In her mind, she had asked herself, was Zinnia right? Was she projecting her pain from losing Paul onto Zinnia and Misty? She plopped down onto the floor where she stood. Misty sat beside her to console her, but she didn't know what to say. She knew she agreed with Zinnia, but Dawn didn't need to hear that right now. Not with hot tears rushing out of her eyes. She just needed a friend by her side.

"Well that was all rather…abrupt," Alain said, being the only one disconnected from the situation.

"It's a long story, Alain. And it's been going on for a while," Misty said, keeping her attention on her sobbing friend.

Ethan was still frozen where he sat, trying to process what just happened. It was like whiplash, with a little mystery thrown in. He remembered back to when Paul confronted Zero and how she clutched his arm. Was that somehow connected? It must have been! That Paul was the same Paul, but how would he have ended up with a girl like Dawn? And what made them split up? So many questions rattled around in his mind as he sat, watching the sobbing girl.

"Ethan!" Alain called.

With a sudden jolt, Ethan looked up at Alain. "Time to go. Let's give them some time."

Ethan replied only with a nod. He stood up slowly, wishing he could stay, wanting to wrap his arm over Dawn and whisper into her ear that it was going to be okay. But Alain was right. Given the circumstances, and the fact that they weren't very well acquainted, it wouldn't be of any help. He waited for Alain to pass the space between the beds so he could follow him out. As Alain reached for the doorknob, it began to turn. The door swung open vehemently, and in came Zinnia and Brendan.

Everyone looked up, expecting some additional retaliation from her and possibly from Brendan, but it wasn't anger or frustration on their faces. Rather, as Alain deduced, it was anticipation. Something had happened when they left the room, something that made them come back.

"We need to get to the bus port now!" Zinnia exclaimed.

"Why? What's going on?" Alain asked.

"There have been these guys in suits walking around telling certain trainers to go to the bus port. Misty, I saw them at our room. They wanted the three of us there, and when he saw Brendan, he pointed at him, too."

"Yeah," Brendan started, "he told me to grab my roommates as well. Like he knew who you guys were just by looking at me."

"Did he say why?" Ethan asked, finally breaking his silence.

"No. Just that the busses are leaving at midnight. So we need to get there now!"

Without much prodding, the group, even Dawn, composed themselves and made with all haste to the bus port. There were so few trainers out there, substantially less than what they had started with. Then it began to click in each of their minds what Zero had said earlier that day. "They call back the ones that made the cut at midnight." His prediction seemed to be coming true, but where was he? Brendan and Ethan especially scanned the crowd, looking for the blonde psychic in a blue coat, but sorting through this crowd of probably 50 trainers was proving to be difficult.

Their search stopped as they piled into the busses intermixed with dozens of other trainers. Zinnia, holding tight to Brendan's hand during this process was able to sit next to him. She hadn't gotten the chance to tell him what that was all about, why she had gotten so angry with Dawn, or how she was really feeling about him. But the bus was still noisy, too noisy to chat. She took in a breath and laid her head on his shoulder. 'I'll tell him in the morning,' she thought, as sleepiness overtook her. Brendan didn't stay awake much longer, leaning against the window of the bus.

Dawn ended up snaking her way away from Misty, looping around several people and stealing the seat next to Ethan. She didn't want to be alone, but she didn't want to be sitting next to Misty. This time she didn't grab his arm, or even lean against him. She only sat next to him. He could see the rage she was trying to hide behind her beautiful blue eyes. It made him worry for her. What was it that was eating away at her? And why wouldn't she talk about it?

He still considered himself fairly lucky though. Here was this gorgeous, obviously passionate, fireball of a young woman sitting next to him yet again, by her own choice. Hope arose in his chest that day. Hope that maybe that desire to hold his hand would come up. Maybe she would start being to him what Zinnia was being to Brendan. But for now, he would wait, biding his time. 'It'll be worth it,' he assured himself, turning his gaze out the window.

Misty sat next to Alain. She couldn't explain why, but he made her nervous. He was always so calm, so stoic, so mysterious. Being near him like this, Misty could feel it. He was strong, and strong willed. Power exuded from him, no doubt due to years of experience battling and traveling. It made her feel something she hadn't felt for some time, not since… No, she wouldn't let her mind go there. 'The past is in the past,' she reminded herself.

"Something bothering you, Misty?" Alain asked.

He had noticed her face shifting through different emotions, though he was totally oblivious to the ones concerning him. He had a sense for picking when people were upset. He had seen since the resort that Misty was upset, but he didn't know why. The obvious would denote it had something to do with Dawn, but that wasn't it. It was something else, something deeper.

"I'm fine, really. Just worried about Dawn, and Zinnia."

"Yeah, it looked like the two of them really got into it," Alain replied, uncrossing his arms. He shifted slightly in the seat so he could look at Misty.

"It's not really anything new, to be honest. They've been going at it like that since Dawn and Paul broke up."

Paul, that name again. He was the guy with purple hair that faced off with Zero without any hesitation. The thought was frightening to Alain, though he wouldn't show it. He had some kind of secret, something enough to make his pulse race. Paul must have sensed that too, if he was as smart and capable as he seemed, but he didn't show any signs of reservation. And Dawn dated that guy. But at the moment, his concern wasn't about that. It was about Misty and making sure she was alright.

"And I take it you get caught in the middle trying to hold everything together."

"…Yeah." Misty hugged her arms.

Images of fighting, late nights, and thousands of tears began flowing back through her mind, like blood from a freshly reopened wound. She felt so many times that she was the only fighting to keep it together.

"For months it went on like that, Dawn attacking Zinnia's relationships, knowing she was only angry about her and Paul breaking up."

"She and Paul were together for four years? Long time. What happened there?"

"I guess only Paul really knows, since he's the one that broke it off."

"Did he ever tell her why?"

"I think so," Misty paused. "But it just doesn't make sense to me. Why would he think having her around was a weakness?"

"A weakness? What does that mean?"

"Paul went to Veilstone High, and he was one of their Ace trainers. If I'm not mistaken, he was number one, undefeated, at that school. His plan was to become a competitive battler, and participate in tournaments across Sinnoh, and maybe even go international."

"Solid plan, at least, if you're good enough."

"Yeah, well anyway, she and Paul met when our schools hosted a meet to pick the best two to send to the Sinnoh Regional Doubles Tournament, where the winners would go on to the International Doubles Tournament. One student from each school would get picked."

"So how did Paul stack there?"

"Paul was incredible. His battling style was so fluid, so calculative, almost like he researched each opponent before he battled them."

"Did he?"

"No, I don't think so. Paul is smart, not paranoid. They met at the end of the tournament, after Paul won and picked his partner from Hearthome Academy. They didn't really do too well at first. Paul seemed to be way too into himself, at least around the rest of us. But when they were alone, she said he was always really sweet."

"So what happened?"

"They started 'officially' dating after Paul came back from the International Doubles Tournament. He and his partner lost to these two guys from Hoenn. Dawn was super excited to see him, and that's when he made it official. None of us were surprised really. They would text each other all the time while he was gone." Misty paused and laughed. It had been so long since she'd seen Dawn as happy as she was with Paul that the memory made her happy. "We really thought they'd be the ones to make it."

"But?"

"Two years into their relationship, we all graduated. Dawn started going to a local contest prep academy, and Paul started putting his name into different pots for tournaments. He had a good streak for a while, increasing his reputation. But he didn't always win. Those were the tournaments that seemed to stick to him the most. Most of the time, he would lean on Dawn. She was always so supportive. Zinnia and I would always do what we could to lift his spirits, too, but he seemed to want to push everyone out but her. Then after a while, he started to push her away too."

"I see. So he took out the frustration of his losses on her. Poor Dawn."

"We tried being as supportive as we could, but it didn't take long for her to start taking it out on us."

"Did you ever say anything to her about it?"

Misty hesitated, and looked away, up a few seats to Zinnia, who was fast asleep on Brendan's shoulder.

"I can't. I'm not strong like Zinnia is. And if I do, I'll lose Dawn. I can't do that."

Misty started to tremble as tears began welling up in her eyes. She couldn't stand the thought of her friends fighting, and the more she thought about it, the more she thought about the pain of losing Dawn and Zinnia, the only friends she had since she moved to Sinnoh. She clutched her shorts with her hands until her knuckles were white and stared down into her lap. "I can't…" she muttered.

Suddenly she felt something. Something warm, strong. She opened her eyes and saw Alain's hand gripping hers tight, without hurting her. She looked up into his face. The midnight moon shone down over him, illuminating soft, blue eyes. For some reason, this simple gesture chased away her fears, and in that moment, she felt safe. She wrapped her thumb over his and smiled up at him. No words were spoken, but they both smiled.

The bus came to a stop. Everyone who had fallen asleep was abruptly awoken. Like a herd of cattle they filed off of the bus. The group looked around and noticed only two other busses present, each carrying approximately 40 trainers. Even more strange was as soon as each bus was empty, the busses departed quickly, as if to escape some looming danger that wasn't far off. Misty clutched Alain's hand, and he hers. Zinnia and Brendan stayed close together with Dawn and Ethan between them and Alain and Misty.

"Is this it?" Alain asked aloud amidst the sleepy murmuring.

"There are a lot fewer than I was expecting," Dawn said.

"But why? Are we the ones that passed?"

Fire erupted from ceremonial torches placed all around them. Only now did they realize they were not actually at the arena. The titanic coliseum was visible from where they stood, but there were a ways out from it. The torches surrounded them, flames rising at least ten feet into the air. It was both ominous, and exciting, though some trainers didn't seem impressed, or intimidated.

"For those of you standing here tonight," a familiar sounding voice shouted, "congratulations. You stand among the best in your generation of trainers." Lance and the other Champions were collectively standing before the group with the coliseum directly to the north behind them. "Out of over 300 trainers, only 120 of you remain."

The trainers nervously murmured amongst themselves. That was simply unbelievable. So many of them had been disqualified, and it was only the first day! Each and every trainer steeled themselves. This was not the time to have the seed of doubt begin to grow. Lance continued his speech.

"The selection process will proceed as planned, but only those of you here tonight will be participating. Over the next three months, each of you will undergo a series of one-on-one exhibition matches. The purpose of these matches is to show what you as a trainer are capable of doing with only one Pokémon at your disposal, a challenge one calling themselves a Champion does not regularly face, but must on occasion. During these exhibition matches, you may not substitute your Pokémon once it has been selected. It will be selected before the match begins, so your choice cannot be influenced by your opponent's choice."

Lance paused, then he continued: "With that being said, tonight, each of you will upload every single Pokémon you regularly carry on your person as well as stored in your PC that you intend to use at any point in your time here. This way any of you may access anyone else's information so that they might make the best possible decision in choosing a Pokémon. Before I dismiss you for the night, are there any questions?"

The crowd was silent. It seemed that every trainer present was nervous about sharing such information. Though it was only fair. Official tournament rules in every region mandated uploading your team of use for the tournament. The rest of it seemed pretty straight forward. Win the most amount of one-on-one rounds and proceed to the next portion of the selection process. Murmuring continued until a single hand guarded in what looked like armor over a long-sleeved coat shot into the air.

"I've got a question," Zero spoke, "when do we start?"

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There you have it, chapter 4. Had to end it with the badass saying something badass. For those actually following this story regularly, I do apologize for the lateness of this post. Things have been absolutely hectic for me lately. But yes, now the real test is about to begin and we will see who stacks where. Still taking suggestions for teams and individual Pokémon, though I have a pretty good idea of who I'll be using for the sake of the story. Hope you enjoyed chapter 4 and I'll see you in chapter 5!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, it's me again. I just realized that my other chapters have not been posting for Champions of Capella because I am a total dingus and didn't move the chapters over from my Doc Manager to the story itself. AAAAH! But I figured it out, as you can tell by reading this chapter and now we are ready for Chapter 5! Here the battling will begin, testing every trainer who made the cut and their ability to control a situation using just one Pokémon. Who will crack under the stress? What strategies will we see unfold? And who will trump whom as the second round trials begin?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

Morning certainly did come early for the 120 trainers that made the cut. Check-in at the Coliseum was scheduled for 8 a.m., much earlier than a lot of these trainers were accustomed to being awake. Ethan was dragging his feet behind Alain, who was only just a little more alert than he was. Zinnia and Brendan were practically asleep standing in line, leaning against each other, and Dawn and Misty were on edge without their morning coffee. Though there were a handful of trainers, like Zero and Hilda that were feeling spry and ready to fight, ready to prove their strength and skill in battle.

"Alright! It's finally time! I am so pumped!" Hilda shouted, firing punches into the air from her seat in the Coliseum.

"That's great, Hilda," Bianca said in the middle of a big yawn. She stretched her arms outward and upward, attempting to loosen her stiff muscles.

"I mean, how can you not be?! I don't think I slept a wink last night. I am so ready for this!"

"Maybe you should cool that fire down, and save it for when your match actually comes up," Bianca said again, finally stopping her yawn.

"I don't know, Bianca, I like seeing Hilda fired up like this. It's really inspiring!" Serena chimed in.

"That's the spirit, Serena! No need to hold back anything anymore. Now it's time to unleash everything you've got and show the world what you're made of!" She held her fist outward, pointed towards the horizon. In her mind's eye, she was standing atop a great mountain, with a massive wave crashing against it. The cascading water cast a rainbow over her face as her heart triumphantly raced in her chest.

"Are you finished making a spectacle of yourself?" The three women turned to see Zero standing near them, hands in his pockets. "I hear there are some people who don't appreciate that. Namely one guy with purple hair."

"It's you! You're the guy that saved Serena!" Bianca exclaimed.

Serena shyly blushed and turned away, only a little. Just enough so she wasn't looking right at him.

"We've been meaning to find you to say thanks, again for saving her. If you hadn't shown up when you did, who knows what that creep would've done to her," Hilda said, hugging an arm around Serena.

"Eh, don't look too much into it. It was a lucky break," he said, plopping down in a chair two seats over from them.

"Lucky break!? You've got to be kidding me! That was amazing. A daring prince rescuing a damsel in distress. So romantic!" Bianca moved past Serena and Hilda to sit beside Zero. "And to take down a brute of that size without him leaving so much as a scratch on you, you must be very strong." She traced her fingers over his bicep and shoulder, which were heavily cushioned by his coat. She stared up into his face, longingly. Now that she had the time to get a better look at him, he was very handsome.

"Please don't touch me," he said calmly.

Bianca jerked away from him. Those words he said, did he really just say that. All of her past experiences dictated that men loved to have their arms caressed by a beautiful blonde woman with curvaceous features. But he was so cold, so indifferent. It was both confusing, and exciting at the same time. Bianca did as he asked and sat in the seat next to Serena. She seemed upset about something. She was sitting in her seat, feet up on the chair and chin rested on her knees.

"What's the matter, Serena?"

Serena's eyes went wide. Her legs shot off the chair and her voice's volume went much higher than they had ever heard her speak. "What?! Nothing! I'm totally fine!"

Zero chuckled. "Obviously."

"Hey, Zero!"

Zero turned his head to the left to see Alain and gang calling out to him. He chuckled some more when he saw most of them were still half asleep. He beckoned them over with one of his hands. Alain led the groggy gang over to the seats around and beside Zero. The way he saw it, Zero was the first to finish the exam, and the one who seemed to have the best idea as to what was going on with this tournament, so having him around would only help make him more competitive. Or at the very least not be as lost as everyone else around him.

"Hey, looks like you guys made the cut," Zero said. His voice was so cool, so collected.

"Yeah, we sure did. I'm glad to see you made it too." He looked over Zero and noticed Hilda, Bianca and Serena. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize your friends here. I'm Alain," he said, smiling.

"I'm Serena, it's nice to meet you," Serena said in her usual bubbly voice, returning him a smile.

"I'm Bianca, pleasure to meet you." She outstretched her hand, palm down, hoping he would take it in his and kiss the top of her hand. But before she got that far, Hilda's burning aura frightened her from behind. She retracted her arm and sat down nervously.

"And I'm…." Hilda paused when she looked up at Alain. He was something else in her eyes. Dark, raven hair, shimmering crystal blue eyes, a dashing smile, and a calm voice that soothed the storm raging inside her. She felt a strange sensation rise up in her chest. It was warm and light. She knew she was staring into his eyes, but she couldn't stop herself. There was something about him, like gravity, that was pulling her towards him. She knew she had to get to know this man. She knew in the depths of her soul.

"Are you going to tell him your name?" Zero asked.

"Huh? What?" Hilda shook her head, breaking out of the trance she was just under. "Hilda!" she yelled, making herself blush. "My name is Hilda."

"Well it's very nice to meet you Hilda."

"By the way, Alain, these aren't friends of mine, really. I just met them yesterday."

"Battlers Paul Stone and Zero, please report to the Stadium, you will be battle number one for the day!" a voice said over the intercom.

"Well that's my cue," Zero said, standing up. "If you would all be so kind as to save your applause for the end of the battle."

Zero walked off. Misty and Dawn were annoyed by his overconfidence. He seemed like such a jerk. Hilda and Alain were curious. He must be really skilled. Serena and Bianca watched him walk off, mesmerized by his mysterious nature. His cold indifference made Bianca want him even more. Like Hilda, Serena felt a force pulling her towards him, like gravity. She knew she wanted to be closer to him.

"Nothing against your new friend, Alain," Misty began, "but I'm rooting for Paul. That guy seems like a jerk."

"You said it, Misty. I don't care how skilled you think you are. Nobody should walk around like they're better than everyone else."

"Now hang on girls, I think there's more to him than meets the eye. I think that bravado comes from somewhere. I mean, maybe where he's from, people are just like that. Ethan, what do you think?"

"Nah, man, he's probably just an asshole."

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence," Alain said, crossing his arms in his seat.

"I think you might have a point, Alain." Hilda said. "I thought I heard someone say he was from Orre. From the way they talked, that's a rough place to come from."

"Yeah, then I guess that does make sense. Where are you from, Hilda?"

"I'm from Unova. I live in a town called Accumula. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Can't say that I have. I passed through Unova, but I wasn't there very long."

"I'm not surprised. It's a pretty small town in the Southeast. Cozy and quiet."

"Is that why you left?"

"Yeah! I mean, the world is just so big and full of adventure. I had to get out and see it for myself! I left home when I turned 18 and haven't regretted it," Hilda said, reminiscing over good memories.

"I can say the same," Alain replied, smiling as he looked at her.

"So where did you…"

"The match is starting!" Brendan yelled, leaning over everyone finally awake.

Paul and Zero walked into the ring, Zero from the Southern gate, Paul from the Northern gate. Paul strode in like a soldier, fists clenched, shoulders back, and head high. His face pressed with a steely resolve, brow firm, eyes set not on Zero, but on his goal to stand at the top. Zero walked casually, hands in his pockets, shoulders laid back, even leaning a little, with the same confident, cocky smile that infuriated Paul so much. They met in the center of the ring, where Alder was waiting to conduct the match.

"Have each of you selected your Pokémon for this iteration?" he asked.

"Yes," Paul answered lowly.

"Naturally," Zero replied, keeping his gaze fixed on Paul.

"Very good, now each of you head to your side of the stadium. I will give you the signal to begin."

"Good luck, Paul," Zero said, still grinning.

"Let's see if that showboating of yours helps you here!"

They took up their positions and waved to Alder, signaling they were ready to begin. Alder took a look at both battlers before announcing the fight. When he saw that they were both ready, he said into the microphone he had with a loud, booming voice:

"The first match of the Single Pokémon Exhibition is ready to get underway. Our top test scorers will kick it off: Paul from Veilstone City of Sinnoh in the North corner!" Paul got a decent amount of applause, especially from Dawn and her group. "And in the South corner: Zero from Pyrite Town of Orre!" Zero received little attention or applause. Serena and Bianca, however, hooted and hollered for him as loud as they could: "Let's go Zero!"

"Both combatants are ready: BEGIN!"

"Electivire, stand by for battle!" Paul hurled his pokeball towards the center of the stadium. There was a burst of light, and out of the ball came the hulking yellow Pokémon Electivire. It shouted a fierce battle call and slammed its fists together, releasing an impressive amount of electric power. The audience cheered for it.

"Bisharp, on station!" Zero's pokeball flew forward, and out of the burst of light came the sword-blade Pokémon Bisharp. Unlike Electivire, Bisharp did nothing to excite the audience, or even make itself seem more intimidating. It simply stood idle, awaiting the command of its trainer.

Paul grinned. He knew his Electivire was much faster than Bisharp, and possessed the move Brick Break. Bisharp would have no chance of beating Electivire. Paul raised his hand and chose his command: "Electivire, use Brick Break! Let's go!"

"Well, that didn't last long," Ethan said, jabbing Brendan's side. "Brick Break will knock out Bisharp cold in one shot, and there's no way that Bisharp is going to outspeed Electivire."

"Then why is Zero so calm?" Alain threw in.

The yellow Pokémon moved much faster than its size would suggest, charging across the battlefield, fist raised overhead. Just as quickly as Paul called his command, Zero sneered. "Bisharp, use rock polish!" Bisharp began to strike its hands over its body, making itself shine. In a moment, Bisharp had completed its maneuver. Electivire was almost upon it. Zero sneered again. "Now go!"

Electivire's mighty fist came crashing down on Bisharp, shattering the very ground beneath it. The entire arena shook from the impact. A massive cloud of dust was thrown up into the air. Electivire rose up, feeling victorious, at least, for a moment. As the dust began to clear, it noticed that Bisharp was not beneath it, defeated. It began to look to its left, and then to its right. But still nothing.

"Electivire! It's behind you!" Paul yelled out.

Electivire turned its head only in enough time to hear Zero's next command: "Night Slash!"

Bisharp certainly was behind Electivire. It had moved out of the way and circled back behind the yellow Pokémon, waiting for its trainer to give it the command to attack. At Zero's command, it raised up its right arm. Dark circles, like ripples, swirled around its body. And before Electivire could react, Bisharp swung its bladed arm infused with dark energy, making direct contact and throwing Electivire toward one of the side walls.

Electivire slid across the ground on its back, heavily damaged, but able to recover from the attack. It flipped up, landed on its feet, and came to a stop several feet from the wall. Paul was enraged. He had just lost the speed advantage, and he knew now, especially with Bisharp gaining the first big hit that his back was against the wall. But he didn't lose his nerve. He still had a range advantage, and he intended to make full use of it.

"Electivire, use Thunder!"

Electivire's body charged a massive amount of electrical energy. It pointed the black coils on its back and pointed them skyward. The electricity was released into the air, striking the arena in various places. Paul was regaining some confidence. He could come back. He could win.

"Bisharp!"

Bisharp was undaunted by Electivire's display of power. It charged ahead at full speed, which was so fast, no one could really keep track of its movement. It was able to evade every single one of the Thunder strikes that rained down sporadically from the sky and get in close to Electivire. When Paul saw it close that gap without taking damage, he yelled out another command. "Use Brick Break! Now!"

Electivire raised up its mighty fist and swung again. This time, instead of circling all the way around it, Bisharp only stepped to the side, knowing its trainer's next command was imminent, and would end the battle. As the ground beneath it gave way under the force of Brick Break, Bisharp charged in, drawing back its bladed arm, hearing the next command: "Night Slash!" and struck Electivire with the full speed of its momentum.

The attack crashed into Electivire with extreme force, enough to launch it into the wall. However, Bisharp redirected the plane of motion for the attack and flung Electivire across the arena. It rolled several times, but did not recover. Electivire had been defeated in just two hits. The audience was in shock. Paul was in shock. The Champions themselves were in shock.

"Bisharp, return!" Zero called back his Bisharp and exited the stadium.

"I see, so that's why he used Rock Polish," Palmer said to the other Champions.

"To increase Bisharp's speed and make it more maneuverable than Pokemon that can naturally outspeed it. Brilliant, but risky," Cynthia replied.

"The way he executed that, though," Iris began, "it was flawless. Like he had practiced it a hundred times."

"Personally, I just love to watch a steel-type win," Steven interjected.

"If you all are quite finished, there are more matches we need to get through today," Lance said, ending the discussion. While he would never admit it to the others, he was very impressed at how expertly that battle was fought, like a true Champion. It raised the question in his mind, just who was this kid?

"You know, even though he lost, that Paul had a really solid strategy for dealing with Bisharp's speed increase," Diantha added. "I suspect those two will want to battle again. What do you think?"

"Certainly! Only next time should be more of a show," Wallace said.

"I agree. These highly skilled trainers locked in battle would certainly be worth waiting for. I propose we set it so that they don't battle again until the end," Palmer suggested.

"I agree!"

"I!"

"I!"

"Then it's decided. We will keep the two of them from battling until the tournament in the culminating event," Lance said, in his usual authoritative voice. "Granted the two of them make it," he said, casting a scowl towards Zero, who had just crossed under the South gate.

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There you have it, chapter 5 is finished. For those of you wondering, yes, Bisharp would definitely be able to outspeed Electivire after one use of Rock Polish. And yes, I'm definitely playing a lot of how the anime works battle scenarios (hence Bisharp moving like a super saiyan) while still taking into account type disadvantages and things like that. Needless to say, from here on out, you will all be seeing more action, romance, and character development! Anyway, thanks for reading. Leave comments if you like, it would be much appreciated and I'll see you all in chapter 6!


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys, it's me again. I just realized that my other chapters have not been posting for Champions of Capella because I am a total dingus and didn't move the chapters over from my Doc Manager to the story itself. AAAAH! But I figured it out, as you can tell by reading this chapter and now we are ready for Chapter 5! Here the battling will begin, testing every trainer who made the cut and their ability to control a situation using just one Pokémon. Who will crack under the stress? What strategies will we see unfold? And who will trump whom as the second round trials begin?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

Morning certainly did come early for the 120 trainers that made the cut. Check-in at the Coliseum was scheduled for 8 a.m., much earlier than a lot of these trainers were accustomed to being awake. Ethan was dragging his feet behind Alain, who was only just a little more alert than he was. Zinnia and Brendan were practically asleep standing in line, leaning against each other, and Dawn and Misty were on edge without their morning coffee. Though there were a handful of trainers, like Zero and Hilda that were feeling spry and ready to fight, ready to prove their strength and skill in battle.

"Alright! It's finally time! I am so pumped!" Hilda shouted, firing punches into the air from her seat in the Coliseum.

"That's great, Hilda," Bianca said in the middle of a big yawn. She stretched her arms outward and upward, attempting to loosen her stiff muscles.

"I mean, how can you not be?! I don't think I slept a wink last night. I am so ready for this!"

"Maybe you should cool that fire down, and save it for when your match actually comes up," Bianca said again, finally stopping her yawn.

"I don't know, Bianca, I like seeing Hilda fired up like this. It's really inspiring!" Serena chimed in.

"That's the spirit, Serena! No need to hold back anything anymore. Now it's time to unleash everything you've got and show the world what you're made of!" She held her fist outward, pointed towards the horizon. In her mind's eye, she was standing atop a great mountain, with a massive wave crashing against it. The cascading water cast a rainbow over her face as her heart triumphantly raced in her chest.

"Are you finished making a spectacle of yourself?" The three women turned to see Zero standing near them, hands in his pockets. "I hear there are some people who don't appreciate that. Namely one guy with purple hair."

"It's you! You're the guy that saved Serena!" Bianca exclaimed.

Serena shyly blushed and turned away, only a little. Just enough so she wasn't looking right at him.

"We've been meaning to find you to say thanks, again for saving her. If you hadn't shown up when you did, who knows what that creep would've done to her," Hilda said, hugging an arm around Serena.

"Eh, don't look too much into it. It was a lucky break," he said, plopping down in a chair two seats over from them.

"Lucky break!? You've got to be kidding me! That was amazing. A daring prince rescuing a damsel in distress. So romantic!" Bianca moved past Serena and Hilda to sit beside Zero. "And to take down a brute of that size without him leaving so much as a scratch on you, you must be very strong." She traced her fingers over his bicep and shoulder, which were heavily cushioned by his coat. She stared up into his face, longingly. Now that she had the time to get a better look at him, he was very handsome.

"Please don't touch me," he said calmly.

Bianca jerked away from him. Those words he said, did he really just say that. All of her past experiences dictated that men loved to have their arms caressed by a beautiful blonde woman with curvaceous features. But he was so cold, so indifferent. It was both confusing, and exciting at the same time. Bianca did as he asked and sat in the seat next to Serena. She seemed upset about something. She was sitting in her seat, feet up on the chair and chin rested on her knees.

"What's the matter, Serena?"

Serena's eyes went wide. Her legs shot off the chair and her voice's volume went much higher than they had ever heard her speak. "What?! Nothing! I'm totally fine!"

Zero chuckled. "Obviously."

"Hey, Zero!"

Zero turned his head to the left to see Alain and gang calling out to him. He chuckled some more when he saw most of them were still half asleep. He beckoned them over with one of his hands. Alain led the groggy gang over to the seats around and beside Zero. The way he saw it, Zero was the first to finish the exam, and the one who seemed to have the best idea as to what was going on with this tournament, so having him around would only help make him more competitive. Or at the very least not be as lost as everyone else around him.

"Hey, looks like you guys made the cut," Zero said. His voice was so cool, so collected.

"Yeah, we sure did. I'm glad to see you made it too." He looked over Zero and noticed Hilda, Bianca and Serena. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize your friends here. I'm Alain," he said, smiling.

"I'm Serena, it's nice to meet you," Serena said in her usual bubbly voice, returning him a smile.

"I'm Bianca, pleasure to meet you." She outstretched her hand, palm down, hoping he would take it in his and kiss the top of her hand. But before she got that far, Hilda's burning aura frightened her from behind. She retracted her arm and sat down nervously.

"And I'm…." Hilda paused when she looked up at Alain. He was something else in her eyes. Dark, raven hair, shimmering crystal blue eyes, a dashing smile, and a calm voice that soothed the storm raging inside her. She felt a strange sensation rise up in her chest. It was warm and light. She knew she was staring into his eyes, but she couldn't stop herself. There was something about him, like gravity, that was pulling her towards him. She knew she had to get to know this man. She knew in the depths of her soul.

"Are you going to tell him your name?" Zero asked.

"Huh? What?" Hilda shook her head, breaking out of the trance she was just under. "Hilda!" she yelled, making herself blush. "My name is Hilda."

"Well it's very nice to meet you Hilda."

"By the way, Alain, these aren't friends of mine, really. I just met them yesterday."

"Battlers Paul Stone and Zero, please report to the Stadium, you will be battle number one for the day!" a voice said over the intercom.

"Well that's my cue," Zero said, standing up. "If you would all be so kind as to save your applause for the end of the battle."

Zero walked off. Misty and Dawn were annoyed by his overconfidence. He seemed like such a jerk. Hilda and Alain were curious. He must be really skilled. Serena and Bianca watched him walk off, mesmerized by his mysterious nature. His cold indifference made Bianca want him even more. Like Hilda, Serena felt a force pulling her towards him, like gravity. She knew she wanted to be closer to him.

"Nothing against your new friend, Alain," Misty began, "but I'm rooting for Paul. That guy seems like a jerk."

"You said it, Misty. I don't care how skilled you think you are. Nobody should walk around like they're better than everyone else."

"Now hang on girls, I think there's more to him than meets the eye. I think that bravado comes from somewhere. I mean, maybe where he's from, people are just like that. Ethan, what do you think?"

"Nah, man, he's probably just an asshole."

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence," Alain said, crossing his arms in his seat.

"I think you might have a point, Alain." Hilda said. "I thought I heard someone say he was from Orre. From the way they talked, that's a rough place to come from."

"Yeah, then I guess that does make sense. Where are you from, Hilda?"

"I'm from Unova. I live in a town called Accumula. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Can't say that I have. I passed through Unova, but I wasn't there very long."

"I'm not surprised. It's a pretty small town in the Southeast. Cozy and quiet."

"Is that why you left?"

"Yeah! I mean, the world is just so big and full of adventure. I had to get out and see it for myself! I left home when I turned 18 and haven't regretted it," Hilda said, reminiscing over good memories.

"I can say the same," Alain replied, smiling as he looked at her.

"So where did you…"

"The match is starting!" Brendan yelled, leaning over everyone finally awake.

Paul and Zero walked into the ring, Zero from the Southern gate, Paul from the Northern gate. Paul strode in like a soldier, fists clenched, shoulders back, and head high. His face pressed with a steely resolve, brow firm, eyes set not on Zero, but on his goal to stand at the top. Zero walked casually, hands in his pockets, shoulders laid back, even leaning a little, with the same confident, cocky smile that infuriated Paul so much. They met in the center of the ring, where Alder was waiting to conduct the match.

"Have each of you selected your Pokémon for this iteration?" he asked.

"Yes," Paul answered lowly.

"Naturally," Zero replied, keeping his gaze fixed on Paul.

"Very good, now each of you head to your side of the stadium. I will give you the signal to begin."

"Good luck, Paul," Zero said, still grinning.

"Let's see if that showboating of yours helps you here!"

They took up their positions and waved to Alder, signaling they were ready to begin. Alder took a look at both battlers before announcing the fight. When he saw that they were both ready, he said into the microphone he had with a loud, booming voice:

"The first match of the Single Pokémon Exhibition is ready to get underway. Our top test scorers will kick it off: Paul from Veilstone City of Sinnoh in the North corner!" Paul got a decent amount of applause, especially from Dawn and her group. "And in the South corner: Zero from Pyrite Town of Orre!" Zero received little attention or applause. Serena and Bianca, however, hooted and hollered for him as loud as they could: "Let's go Zero!"

"Both combatants are ready: BEGIN!"

"Electivire, stand by for battle!" Paul hurled his pokeball towards the center of the stadium. There was a burst of light, and out of the ball came the hulking yellow Pokémon Electivire. It shouted a fierce battle call and slammed its fists together, releasing an impressive amount of electric power. The audience cheered for it.

"Bisharp, on station!" Zero's pokeball flew forward, and out of the burst of light came the sword-blade Pokémon Bisharp. Unlike Electivire, Bisharp did nothing to excite the audience, or even make itself seem more intimidating. It simply stood idle, awaiting the command of its trainer.

Paul grinned. He knew his Electivire was much faster than Bisharp, and possessed the move Brick Break. Bisharp would have no chance of beating Electivire. Paul raised his hand and chose his command: "Electivire, use Brick Break! Let's go!"

"Well, that didn't last long," Ethan said, jabbing Brendan's side. "Brick Break will knock out Bisharp cold in one shot, and there's no way that Bisharp is going to outspeed Electivire."

"Then why is Zero so calm?" Alain threw in.

The yellow Pokémon moved much faster than its size would suggest, charging across the battlefield, fist raised overhead. Just as quickly as Paul called his command, Zero sneered. "Bisharp, use rock polish!" Bisharp began to strike its hands over its body, making itself shine. In a moment, Bisharp had completed its maneuver. Electivire was almost upon it. Zero sneered again. "Now go!"

Electivire's mighty fist came crashing down on Bisharp, shattering the very ground beneath it. The entire arena shook from the impact. A massive cloud of dust was thrown up into the air. Electivire rose up, feeling victorious, at least, for a moment. As the dust began to clear, it noticed that Bisharp was not beneath it, defeated. It began to look to its left, and then to its right. But still nothing.

"Electivire! It's behind you!" Paul yelled out.

Electivire turned its head only in enough time to hear Zero's next command: "Night Slash!"

Bisharp certainly was behind Electivire. It had moved out of the way and circled back behind the yellow Pokémon, waiting for its trainer to give it the command to attack. At Zero's command, it raised up its right arm. Dark circles, like ripples, swirled around its body. And before Electivire could react, Bisharp swung its bladed arm infused with dark energy, making direct contact and throwing Electivire toward one of the side walls.

Electivire slid across the ground on its back, heavily damaged, but able to recover from the attack. It flipped up, landed on its feet, and came to a stop several feet from the wall. Paul was enraged. He had just lost the speed advantage, and he knew now, especially with Bisharp gaining the first big hit that his back was against the wall. But he didn't lose his nerve. He still had a range advantage, and he intended to make full use of it.

"Electivire, use Thunder!"

Electivire's body charged a massive amount of electrical energy. It pointed the black coils on its back and pointed them skyward. The electricity was released into the air, striking the arena in various places. Paul was regaining some confidence. He could come back. He could win.

"Bisharp!"

Bisharp was undaunted by Electivire's display of power. It charged ahead at full speed, which was so fast, no one could really keep track of its movement. It was able to evade every single one of the Thunder strikes that rained down sporadically from the sky and get in close to Electivire. When Paul saw it close that gap without taking damage, he yelled out another command. "Use Brick Break! Now!"

Electivire raised up its mighty fist and swung again. This time, instead of circling all the way around it, Bisharp only stepped to the side, knowing its trainer's next command was imminent, and would end the battle. As the ground beneath it gave way under the force of Brick Break, Bisharp charged in, drawing back its bladed arm, hearing the next command: "Night Slash!" and struck Electivire with the full speed of its momentum.

The attack crashed into Electivire with extreme force, enough to launch it into the wall. However, Bisharp redirected the plane of motion for the attack and flung Electivire across the arena. It rolled several times, but did not recover. Electivire had been defeated in just two hits. The audience was in shock. Paul was in shock. The Champions themselves were in shock.

"Bisharp, return!" Zero called back his Bisharp and exited the stadium.

"I see, so that's why he used Rock Polish," Palmer said to the other Champions.

"To increase Bisharp's speed and make it more maneuverable than Pokemon that can naturally outspeed it. Brilliant, but risky," Cynthia replied.

"The way he executed that, though," Iris began, "it was flawless. Like he had practiced it a hundred times."

"Personally, I just love to watch a steel-type win," Steven interjected.

"If you all are quite finished, there are more matches we need to get through today," Lance said, ending the discussion. While he would never admit it to the others, he was very impressed at how expertly that battle was fought, like a true Champion. It raised the question in his mind, just who was this kid?

"You know, even though he lost, that Paul had a really solid strategy for dealing with Bisharp's speed increase," Diantha added. "I suspect those two will want to battle again. What do you think?"

"Certainly! Only next time should be more of a show," Wallace said.

"I agree. These highly skilled trainers locked in battle would certainly be worth waiting for. I propose we set it so that they don't battle again until the end," Palmer suggested.

"I agree!"

"I!"

"I!"

"Then it's decided. We will keep the two of them from battling until the tournament in the culminating event," Lance said, in his usual authoritative voice. "Granted the two of them make it," he said, casting a scowl towards Zero, who had just crossed under the South gate.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There you have it, chapter 5 is finished. For those of you wondering, yes, Bisharp would definitely be able to outspeed Electivire after one use of Rock Polish. And yes, I'm definitely playing a lot of how the anime works battle scenarios (hence Bisharp moving like a super saiyan) while still taking into account type disadvantages and things like that. Needless to say, from here on out, you will all be seeing more action, romance, and character development! Anyway, thanks for reading. Leave comments if you like, it would be much appreciated and I'll see you all in chapter 6!


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